A Cobalt Christmas
by Xxstar-hit96
Summary: In a time of holiday joy, there was a fox named Fox McCloud who disregarded all forms of family holidays until a certain vixen came into his life. Her name, was Krystal Hughey...


**A/N: Hey everyone, here is my submission to the Christmas one-shot contest that was well set up by two great authors K.S. Reynard and Emile The Watcher. I must say it's an honor to have been invited to enter, I've seen nothing but the best here, I bid good luck to everyone who has entered so far, and good job writing for those who have posted so far, a month is a short time to write for some people, (me) but I got done to a point where I think it's satisfactory, thanks for coming to check it out, now I present to you:**

* * *

**A Cobalt Christmas **by: **Xxstar-hit96**

* * *

It's getting close to christmas in Lylat. Everyone was with their families at home enjoying the quality time with their children and spouses. But like every other year for Fox McCloud since his fathers mysterious disappearance, he never celebrated the usual tradition as it would bring his spirits down even further. No, Fox could usually be found working for Corneria and doing missions to keep his spirits up around this time of year. People called him strange for doing so, but the only two people to stand by him as he went out and achieved things most people couldn't and wouldn't do because they were with their family, was his best friend Slippy Toad and his mentor Peppy Hare

"Slip, has the General tried contacting us yet for another Christmas mission?" Fox asked toward Slippy as he typed away on his computer, sending off a few E-cards to his friends and cousins that he probably wouldn't get a chance to see.

Slippy turned in his seat to face him after he fixed ROB the Great Fox's Artificial Intelligence, "Not that I know buddy... Wait hold that, incoming call."

Fox's ears perked and he tapped a key to retract his laptop so he could stand up, "On screen Slippy."

The screen was filled with the image of the General of Corneria "General Pepper here."

"Heya General, how are you?"

"I'm fairly pleasant today Fox, but a neighbouring planet isn't fairing so well..." The image of the Generals head changed to that of a planet that seemed to be falling apart around the seams and drifting off into space, "Fox, this is Dinosaur Planet, of course you can guess why it's called that as the planets populace is strictly dinosaur. You are required to go and see why exactly it seems to be falling apart and see if you can rebuild it. I know it sounds impossible," the screen changed back to General Peppers head, "but I keep hearing reports that this world is magical in some way... maybe you and your team can crack its code and use it to your advantage somehow."

"You got it General, Star Fox is on call, just send us the coordinates and were gone."

The General smiled, "Thought you'd say that." a ding sounded on the bridge, "Oh! One last thing, your fee has been approved. Pepper out."

Fox dashed over to Slippy and hovered over his shoulder to find out the more detailed information, "Nice we're right near it too."

* * *

**Christmas Eve day, Dinosaur planet**

* * *

Fox rushed to the roof of the "Krazoa Palace" that he had been to many times now. About a day ago he had been contacted by a Spirit telling him that a girl was in danger and that her life was required to save the world, at first he thought of it as stupid. He thought, why would one life decide the fate of the rest of the planet. He already reunited the world with the four torso-sized stones that gave off extranomic amounts of electromagnetic interference that played hell with his comms as he moved the stones from point A to point B. Luckily the power they gave off made them weigh a fraction of what they looked like, which made moving them a breeze.

Now he was on his way up to the last platform where he would deliver the last spirit and save the young blue lady in the pinkish crystalline prism. He was almost finished his mission, in record time too. Maybe he could go to Falco's and take him up on his Christmas dinner offer after all.

He fell to his knees on the platform of the palace were he was told to release the last spirit. He groaned in discomfort feeling like his insides were being pulverized by an unknown force, but this being the fifth time doing it, he somehow became accustomed to it.

As the spirit left his body to be with its brothers and sisters, Fox took a moment of rest before he realized what was happening. '_The prism!_' He thought, before standing up and rushing to the very top of the palace where the crystal holding the vixen floated,

"Wake up, wake up," he called. Soon there was a tremor and it felt like the palace was going to collapse. Instead the prism shattered and Fox acted quickly by extending the staff he found and pushing it out over the five mile drop to save the svelte blue vixen from almost certain death. Luckily she grabbed onto it before she fell any farther and Fox helped her up onto the ledge, where safety waited with open arms

As soon as Fox saw the shade of blue that her eyes were, he was star stuck. He already thought she was beautiful when he first laid eyes on her, but now with seeing the colour of her eyes and how well it matched with the hue of her fur, it painted the perfect picture of elegance and beauty.

"My hero." The blue lady murmured and looked at him as if seeing what he looked like in full perspective. Something then caught her attention before she could finish her quick inspection. The familiar glint of her staff. "Why..." She shook her head, "Gimme that!" She shouted and ripped the pole from his grasp just as a statue started to move.

"I am reborn! The mighty Krazoa god!" He entity laughed demonically and started to float toward the sky, leaving the world.

"That voice sounds so familiar..." Fox murmured and took off toward his Arwing going to stop the entity from leaving as what it had was the key to making the planets power balance out properly,

* * *

**Space, somewhere around Dinosaur Planet,**

* * *

Fox was in the middle of battling the monstrosity that was a replica of Andross, he almost had his war machine down until he opened his mouth wide and generated a black hole that trapped his lasers and started to slowly pull him in, threatening to destroy him,

'_No, this can't be my end. I never even got to meet that vixen I saved._' he thought and his life started flashing before his eyes. Suddenly a Smart Bomb came from nowhere and stopped the anomaly, before a voice came across his comms

"Hey Fox, you look like you're having trouble. Need some help?"

"Falco!? What are you doing here?!" Fox replied in the middle of firing away a volley of lasers at the entity that Fox knew as Andross,

"Pepper told me what you did, and instead of letting you come to me, which I knew wasn't going to happen, I figured I'd come congratulate you in person... So here I am, here," Falco said and then flew by, "take this, it'll help you."

"Nova bombs. Yes! One thing I always seemed to forget was that. Thanks."

He fired the last missile into Andross's mouth and he blew up, making a light-show of mass proportion and released the spirits he held against their ability to escape,

"Well, buddy should we go in for a drink." Falco asked as he did a few loops around Fox's Arwing with his own.

"Maybe in a bit... I need to go and check on someone."

"Alright man, while you do that I'm going to fly around the planet and check it out, I never even knew of this planet."

...

"Where is she? I don't see her anywhere... Damn, I did it again, save the really hot girl from impending doom and I don't even get her name or phone number... Perfect-"

"Fox, the general just called for you, I put him on hold until you get back."

Fox keyed into the radio, "Alright Slippy, I'll be right there."

"Something the matter Fox? You sound kinda down."

"Er, it's nothing Slippy, prep the hangar for mine and Falco's landing... count in for another as well, just in case."

"Anyone specific?"

"No. Just in case."

There was a small pause, "Okay, all set."

Fox closed his comm and took another look around, "Well, I guest I should get going. Maybe she went space bound already."

* * *

**On the Great Fox,**

* * *

"Thank you sir, I appreciate your kindness."

"Pepper out,"

Fox just got off the phone with the General, it seems that he added in a Christmas bonus for a job well done,

The sliding door to the elevator opened, "Yo, Fox, hows you this year man?"

Fox turned to face Falco as he stepped in through the door and shrugged, "Same as every other year Falco, lonely and depressed-"

"Why not come spend Christmas with me and Katt?"

"I think that would just make me feel worse for being a third wheel."

"Nah man, you're always welcome-" Falco started but was cut off when the doors to the bridge opened again and a blue lady wearing a bra-like top and loincloth stepped through, admiring how big the place was,

When Fox seen her he gulped hard and he started to sweat a little, Falco saw it and used it to his advantage, "'scuse me miss, can I help you with something?"

The woman looked at Falco and started speaking in her melodic accented voice, "Uh, yeah, is there by any chance an orange fox here on the ship, I need to talk to him."

Falco looked at Fox and winked at him. Fox knew the look from their days back in the academy, it was the look that had him worried. It worried him because Fox knew what Falco meant by it, it usually meant, '_D__amn Fox you sly dogger you_.' As Falco looked back at the blue woman he stepped to the side, "Him?"

She looked back to where Falco had pointed and smiled before and as she replied, "Yes."

Falco cleared his throat, "Well Fox I think I should go and pack some stuff and take off for Christmas... Slippy, don't you have to go repair Fox's Arwing?" he asked walking passed the blue lady and back through the door

"Yeah I'll get on that. R.O.B. initiate charge mode." Slippy said and took off after Falco.

"Charge mode, activated, shutting down."

Fox was now sweating hard and he had no real way to combat it except to hope that the air conditioning was blowing in the right direction, "Uh, what exactly did you want to talk to me about miss?"

"Miss? Oh miss, as in you don't know my name, right, well for starts, my name is Krystal and I wanted to formerly thank you in person for saving my life. You really are a spectacular person, even if you don't see that in yourself, I see it..."

Fox nodded, "It was nothing really... My name is Fox by the way, and thanks for seeing the good in me. Most people just take me for granted and brush me aside when my usefulness is all used up."

"Really? That's so sad. I'm sorry to hear."

"Yeah, well, nothing really you can do about the assholes in day to day life... Hey listen, I was going to go to the cafeteria and get some food, and now that you're here, you're welcome to join me."

"I'd love to, thank you."

* * *

"Ah, juice I can actually pronounce. I think it tastes better when you know what it is." Fox murmured after taking a sip of his apple juice, when he set his glass down his wrist comm beeped twice signalling an email alert, it was from Crimson Reynard, his cousin on his mothers side, when he opened the email it was an E-card wishing him a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, at the bottom was an invite to Christmas dinner tomorrow.

"Crimson you know I don't celebrate Christmas anymore." he muttered closing the wrist comm

Krystal finished taking a sip from her glass of water and set it down, "You too?"

"Me too, what?" Fox asked not really focusing after his mind got off the memory roller coaster that always seemed to go on when key words were said.

"You don't celebrate Christmas."

"Oh... No, I used to... Then-"

Krystal gasped, "Fox, I'm so sorry."

"Uh-"

"Dang, I should've told you earlier." Krystal murmured and looked down to the table, the beads in her hair clicked gently,

"Told me what?"

"Something very few people know. You see my fur Fox? Well believe it or not, it's natural. All of it, hair too. All Cerinians have-" She stopped herself and corrected her sentence before continuing on, "'_had_' blue fur, it was all in genetics. We also had gifts of telepathy and telekinesis, it gave us advantages others never could've dreamt of... That's how I knew what you were going to say before you said it... Sorry."

"That's pretty cool actually. What about this '_had_' thing though if you don't mind me asking."

"Fox... You're the first person to actually care about me in five years... Five years ago... My planet was destroyed by Andross... And I think I'm the only survivor."

Fox was shocked to hear this, "I'm sorry I asked," he murmured looking down to the table in shame, shame of bringing up such a topic, "I thought I had it bad when I lost my parents, now I feel terrible."

She shook he head, "No, don't. It's my problem, not yours."

A pause filled the room and Fox wondered, "What was Christmas like for you back on Cerinia?"

"Well," Krystal chuckled with a small smile "Christmas for us was a bit different. My clothes say it all. We had a very mild to hot climate. But there was always this one single day out of every year, where it would snow and then the next day it would be gone. That snow day out of every year was the day we would celebrate Christmas and give gifts and thank the Gods for letting us have another successful year of life."

"Wow, I would've loved to live there."

"Yeah," she sighed "I'd love more than anything if I could go back."

A pause filled the room, now and again the two fox's would share eye contact, then it just got too weird and someone would look away.

'_Come on Fox, you got this._'

"Um, so Krystal, would you want to by any chance celebrate Christmas again if you had someone to do so with?"

Krystal's ears perked with her gaze still downward at the table, pondering the thought a little more she came to a conclusion and looked up to meet Fox's gaze. "You know, I would actually... Too long I've been on my own. When you saved me it made me realize that I'm not the only person in this universe anymore, and that there are still people out there who care."

Fox smiled both glad about her comment and flattered that she said something like that about him.

"So how would you like to meet more people like me and have a nice meal?"

'_Just like old times?_' Krystal thought. Never did she think that a man she just met earlier that day would invite her to dinner, so she probed his mind to find out if he was joking or not. Turns out he wasn't. It just turns out he was scared she would decline and that he would need to spend Christmas alone, getting plastered again to forget his troubles for that one day that brought out his emotions so much.

"You know Fox, you seem like a nice guy and all but, I don't think I would feel welcome there, wearing, you know, this." She started and gestured to herself and what she was wearing

"That's okay, I'll take you out and you can get some clothes-"

"No money,"

"I just finished saving a planet on my Christmas holidays, I think I could lend you the money you need for a new outfit or two."

Fox's comment startled her, so she looked him square in the eye, "You would do that for me?"

"Yeah, I mean- if-... Yeah, I would. I would want you to be happy. Christmas is the time of friends, family, and belonging." Fox said to her and looked at her, to see that she had tears in her eyes.

Before he could say anything though, Krystal spoke, "There would be no words to describe how happy I would be if you did that for me... You would be giving me a place to belong this year."

Fox lowered his ears, "Are you saying you have no place to go at all?"

Krystal nodded and gazed at her glass of water, "Yeah, for the last five years, all I've been doing is going from place to place and mostly just living in that tin can I showed up in."

"Wow, personally I would've gone insane, but you know, if you want somewhere to belong and want people you could call family, you could join Star Fox."

"Your team?" She asked and looked at him, "Don't you think I'm a little under-qualified for that?"

"Well if you want to stay here, I could always teach you, that's no problem. And telepathy, that's a huge bonus. You could know things before they happen."

"You know that sounds nice-"

"You don't have to decide right now," He interrupted, thinking that she would say no to his proposal,  
"just keep in mind that there's now a place for you if you want."

"I'd love to join your team. It would make me feel more at ease about the life I've been living for the past five years,"

"So it's settled then, I'll contact the General after Christmas, tell him he's going to have to bump up our rate from four to five people."

'_A place to call home AND an adopted family to call my own!? This year can't get any better. And I get the privilege of having a hot teacher, that is interested in me. Wow_.'

"Are you okay?" Fox asked, gaining her attention back from her thought.

"Huh? Yeah I'm great."

"You didn't move for a little, didn't even blink."

"Oh yeah, I just zoned out for a bit."

"So do you want me to lend you some clothes before we go down to buy you some, it's pretty chilly down where we're going."

"Sure, already know they wont fit but there should be something."

* * *

**Katt's house, Christmas Day,**

* * *

"Does anyone know if Fox is coming?" Katt asked the room of people, which consisted of Falco Slippy, Miyu, and Peppy.

Everyone started conversing with one another debating on weather or not the head of Star Fox was going to be there for Katt and Falco's famous Christmas dinner, "He's probably just going to be moping around like last year."

Suddenly the doorbell rang and Katt answered.

"Welcome, come in please. We were just about done cooking. Fox, since this is your first time being here, you get the honours of carving the turkey, but you got to introduce your girlfriend."

When Falco heard this he was caught mid sip of his wine, and he coughed and started choking on it, he almost spilled it on Katt's white shag rug that she got from Zoness, "What did you say?" Falco asked in a ragged voice.

Fox's voice was then heard along with another feminine laugh, "Katt she's not my '_girlfriend_'."

"All I said was that you had to introduce her. Plus she's a girl and she is your friend right? Don't get so defensive Foxy."

"Okay, Okay... let me take my snowy shoes off at least." Fox said and then there was a bit of a pause before he finally came into the room wearing a red t-shirt and drees jeans. The red symbolizing his ancestors way of acknowledging the god that knew exactly how to bring everyone together at a special time of year, and beside him came a lovely looking blue vixen who had dressed in a pair of tight blue jeans and a blue shirt that had a rhinestone design on it.

"Wow, Fox actually came this year. Your first time too, what do you think of the place?"

"It looks nice, but I bet any money that it was Katt's doing, not yours."

"Hey! I helped!"

"Okay man, I'll have to take your word on that one... Everyone I would like you to meet Krystal, my friend and newest member of Star Fox."

Everyone welcomed and congratulated her to joining the team, though she kept he power secretive for now, she could already feel the friendliness floating around in the air toward her. Everyone actually did like the fact that she joined the team. Everyone knew that Star Fox consisted of men, or as some people said, boys mainly, because of the choices they made, they were now happy that the team now had a feminine touch to keep them in line.

...

After dinner, everyone slowly left to go home and go to bed after the large hot meal seemed to drain their strength. Falco of course was going to stay behind and spend the night with Katt, Miyu was the last of the other guests to leave after she introduced herself to Krystal and welcomed her to the Star Fox team, of course she wasn't on it but when she was, she gave a brief overview of how it was when she was there and how much fun she had.

Another few minutes and jokes went by and Fox seen Krystal yawn, and make like she was going to fall asleep, "Well Falco, Katt, thank you for the amazing meal, but we best get going."

"Okay Fox, thanks for coming out this year."

"Oh no worries man, thanks for having me."

"Krystal, you make sure he gets home safe, no bar hopping this year."

Krystal giggled, "Yeah, okay Katt. If anything, Fox is going to be the one making sure I make it to the ship."

Fox and Krystal took a cab to the air port and then took a space taxi up to the Great Fox, "Fox?"

He asked getting into the quick lift with her, "Yes Krystal?"

"Thank you for giving me a place on your team and also for today."

"Oh, it's no problem, thank you for being there, had you not, I would've probably been drinking myself to sleep. Christmas and I never did get along after my dad disappeared. But I think it could change."

"I hope it does, a guy like you, as nice and caring as you are shouldn't do that to yourself."

"Thanks Krystal, that means a lot."

"No problem, well here's my stop, you have a good night."

Fox scowled, "The hangar bay?"

"Yeah, my ship is here."

"Well I was going to help you set up a room on the crew deck."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean if you're going to stay here, I'm going to make it more hospitable for you, so yeah, I'm going to give you a room."

'_This day can't get any better._' "Why thank you."

...

Krystal just finished scanning her palm on the scanner and it prompted her to type in her name, so she did.

When all the steps were completed her new door opened and a voice from within greeted her, startling her a bit, "Welcome to the Great Fox, Krystal Hughey."

"Whoa, trippy. Is it going to do that all the time?"

"No, just on first initialization. What is Hughey anyway? I've never heard a name like that before."

"It's Cerinian for bright in mind and spirit."

"Oh, I see, well you have a good night."

"You too, Fox."

Krystal stepped into her room and the door slip shut behind her.

Fox who was on the outside turned to face his own door and thought to himself, '_Today went really well. Don't think I'll be able to talk to Krystal as "up-front" again, but I'll try._' as Fox entered his room he stripped off his coat and shoes, when he was done he emptied all of his pockets as it gave him peace of mind when he knew where all of his belongings were. As he reached into his last pants pocket, he pulled out a note, it was a fairly simple note, and on it, it was titled with his name, he opened it and started to read it,

'_Fox, this note is to tell you what I felt too shy to do in person, I wanted to tell you how much I am grateful for your hospitality, and grateful __you took me in, even with my gifts, most people wouldn't let me stay anywhere because they __we__re afraid I would constantly be spying on them, but that isn't me and no one understood that until you came along, for that I thank you, and I promise that I will make it up to you in some way._

_Your friend and partner_

_Krystal_'

Fox thought about her gift a little more, and how many befits his team could have with them, then he thought about it on a more personal level, "What if she's awake now?" he asked himself,

* * *

Krystal was laying in her new bed that was clean and perfectly tidy, still awake. She knew that he read the note she left in his pocket and now she was a little worried as to how he might've understood it, then she heard his voice pass against her conscience, '_**Don't worry about it Krystal, I accept you the way you are. **__**Merry Christmas, and have a good night.**_'

Krystal was relieved, now not only did she have a place to call home and people she could call family, but they also accepted her for who she was, not for who they wanted her to be.

'_Best, day, ever! __Now my life is __on the right track __again__... I'm going to love it here._' Krystal thought to herself and closed her eyes, now with her mind put at ease she was finally able to fall asleep, all the while she was thinking about what tomorrow would be like for her.

_Fin_

* * *

**A/N: Thank you everyone for coming to read my first Christmas one-shot, what's a better way to celebrate Christmas and New Years than to have a friendly competition? Well everyone has their own answer to that. On a final note though I'd like to wish a Merry Christmas and Happy New year to everyone, (and if you don't celebrate Christmas, Happy Holidays and Quality Time.)**

**Good luck to all!**


End file.
